This Is Beirut 2024-05-30 18:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Global Blue, the Swiss tax-free shopping company, announced on Thursday the relaunch of tax-free shopping services in Lebanon after a stop of more than two years. "This move represents a significant boost for the local retail and tourism sectors, attracting more international shoppers and stimulating economic activity in Lebanon," reads a ...
This Is Beirut 2024-05-29 20:49 - Reading : less than a minute
The Board of Directors of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) met on Wednesday, reiterating the need to return deposits and preserve the banking sector. According to a press release issued by the ABL, various topics were discussed. In particular, the Council unanimously stressed the need to approach any bank restructuring project in ...
This Is Beirut 2024-05-29 17:38 - Reading : less than a minute
Caretaker Minister of Economy and Trade Amin Salam assured on Wednesday that “the World Bank (WB) is committed to supporting Lebanon,” emphasizing that “the Ministry of Economy and Trade is keen on close cooperation with the financial institution to achieve results in the coming year, notably the beginning of the implementation of the GATE ...
This Is Beirut 2024-05-28 19:02 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
As per the latest figures released by the Central Bank of Lebanon, the number of outstanding bank payment cards reached 2,063,252 cards at end-August 2023, down from 2,379,207 cards at end-2022, witnessing a drop of 315,955 cards or 13.3% over the first eight months of 2023. In detail, resident payment cards continued to make up the majority of ...
Mario Chartouni 2024-05-28 15:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Finding out ways to preserve and increase one's wealth is a permanent concern worldwide, but it is an acute need in Lebanon due to the ongoing multidimensional crisis that has been afflicting the country for over four years. This issue is a persistent challenge, especially as cash is the number one ruler, and its financial management has proven to ...
This Is Beirut 2024-05-27 21:26 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Caretaker Minister of Finance Youssef el-Khalil and World Bank (WB) Executive Director Abdel Aziz al-Mulla discussed, over a meeting, the WB budget for Lebanon, the projects carried out in the country and the institution's strategy for the next two years. Also on the agenda were discussions regarding the framework of support provided by the WB to ...
This Is Beirut 2024-05-27 21:14 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
The President of the FBN Family Business Network, Ricardo Hosri, highlighted in a statement the vulnerability of family businesses in Lebanon in light of the current circumstances, warning that "their situation is tragic and their sustainability is challenging due to the war in Gaza, the tensions at the southern border in Lebanon and the financial ...
Maurice Matta 2024-05-27 08:27 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
So far, TotalEnergies Group's report on drilling and exploration results in Block 9, southern Lebanon, remains unpublished, albeit the legal deadline passing for TotalEnergies to submit it to the Lebanese State represented by the Ministry of Energy. Drilling operations in the mentioned block ceased in mid-October 2023, and despite Minister Walid ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-05-26 10:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
In 2023, Lebanon imported 31,814 kg of gold bars, valued at $1.9 billion, compared to 16,776 kg in 2022, an increase of 89.6% year-on-year. This marked a record high for Lebanon in terms of the weight and value of gold bar imports over a decade, namely, from 2014 to 2023. According to the research and statistics bureau Information ...
2024-05-25 10:34 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
For several years, Lebanon has been facing severe electricity rationing in the summer due to increased consumption and the inability of power plants and the grid to handle the load. However, it appears that the Lebanese might hope to benefit from an additional one or two hours of electricity per day starting mid-June. The office of EDL director ...
This Is Beirut 2024-05-23 21:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The chairman of the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, announced that a suspension of fiscal stamp sales is being considered. If the authorities fail to resolve the black-market trafficking of these stamps, a draft law with double emergency status will be proposed. The Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee held a ...
This Is Beirut 2024-05-23 20:22 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Poverty in Lebanon has more than tripled over the past decade, reaching 44% of the total population, according to a new World Bank (WB) report published on Thursday. Based on a recent household survey covering five Lebanese governorates – Akkar, Beirut, Beqaa, North Lebanon and most of Mount Lebanon – the report reveals that one in three ...